Friday, April 24, 2015

7 Quick Takes about Seizure Mode, Elsa's Global Takeover, and Holding Yourself Together with Super Glue

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! That means 7 quick thoughts for the last 7 days.

1


For almost a month now, I've been driving around with this instead of a stereo:

7 Quick Takes about Seizure Mode, Elsa's Global Takeover, and Holding Yourself Together with Super Glue  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
Sound quality: poor.
Risk of electrocution: moderate to high.

Phillip can do anything around the house by looking up tutorials on YouTube, including removing a malfunctioning car stereo and then going out of town for several weeks on business.

He finally got around to replacing it, and I'm the proud new owner of this.

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}
My favorite feature: It works.

We bought the stereo based strictly on price and not for looks, but there are like two dozen options for customizing the display on this thing. My favorite includes spastic lights flashing in every color of the rainbow  I call it "Seizure Mode":


They see me rollin', they hatin'. I totally have the coolest minivan when I go to pick up my kids at soccer practice.


2


The spring soccer season was supposed to start last week, but there was still snow on the fields from the Hundred-Year Winter (see Chronicles of Narnia for that reference.) We're finally on now.

After his first practice, my son told me that his team name is The Slime Green Evil Lasers, which tells me 3 things:
  1. His teammates are all boys.
  2. Each of them is 6 years old.
  3. The coach did her best to work in suggestions from everybody.
That's also how my friend's cat Rainbow Blossom got her name. Collaboration can be a beautiful thing, but sometimes it just ends up really, really weird.

3


My friend Jessica invited me to hear her sing in concert in a beautiful old church. I mean, could you ask for better acoustics than this?

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


We had a rough drive home, though. It was a late night and a long drive. I can stay awake until 3 in the morning at home but I'll fall asleep instantly if you put me behind the wheel of a car after dusk. (How old do I need to be before "I don't drive at night" is an acceptable thing for me to say?)

As it was, I was literally slapping myself in the face to stay awake. Even setting the stereo to Seizure Mode, which is really quite disturbing in the dark, wasn't doing it for me.

4


A few days later, we listened to a handbell choir in another beautiful old church, which looked like this:

It's 7 Quick Takes Friday! How was your week?  {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

I hate it when I try to sound smart explaining something to my kids but realize halfway through that I don't know what I'm talking about.

One them asked me how bells make sound, and I used the phrase "the donger thing" to describe the little hammer inside. (I later Googled it: it's called a clapper. Now go impress your kids with how much you know about the anatomy of a bell.)

5


Phillip packed up his road bike and went for a nighttime ride along the Boston Marathon route at midnight the day before the marathon.

I guess some of the participants tricked out their bikes with crazy lights and music; I wasn't there, but I'm picturing it like a miniature Mardi Gras, only later at night and a little more odd.

After they finished, Phillip and his friends walked into a 24-hour diner to grab something to eat. Apparently they didn't look quite like the usual crowd of shift workers and people just getting done clubbing, because the guy at the counter took one look at them and said, "You guys haven't been awake at this hour for 10 years, have you?"

The answer was no. No, they hadn't.

6


I'm not really that into sharing news events (if Unremarkable Files is where you come to keep up on current events then you seriously need professional help) but I did want to let you know that it's official: No matter where you are, you are no longer safe from the blaring vocals of "Let It Go." It will find you. Even in the middle of a Senate Finance Committee meeting.



I love that the dark-haired woman behind him is shaking she's trying so hard not to laugh.

7


Tried out a great time-saving life hack on Thursday night: if you slice up your finger making dinner but you don't want to sit in the emergency room for 3 hours waiting to get stitches, superglue it together and go on your merry way.

Seriously, I was personally advised by a physician to do this. (Just don't sue me if you end up with your finger cemented to your keyboard, which I was slightly nervous about since typing up this post was next on my to-do list after fixing my finger.)

FYI, a $3.29 bottle of Super Glue costs way less than an E.R. copay and we have plenty left over to repair all the things my kids break over the weekend! I'd say that's pretty much the definition of win-win.

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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

We replaced the stereo in our truck a couple of weeks ago but it's a new model of stereo so we couldn't find any Youtube videos! So we wound up having to take it to Best Buy for installation. Oh well. At least we tried.

Tomato said...

I'm pretty sure I would die in a fiery crash if my stereo had seizure mode! I get way too easily distracted by things, lol. I can't watch it yet, but I'm excited to watch the senator video, just the description has me laughing!

Jenny Evans (sister, not author) said...

I love all of these, especially the one about Phillip's bike ride. "You haven't been up this late in 10 years, have you?" Hahaha. I too am never caught up on current events, but I had heard about the senator's ringtone, so funny.

grtlyblesd said...

I totally started saying, "I don't drive at night" before I hit 40. I mean, I *can* but I NO depth perception in the dark, and my teens are all, "Mom, you're a block away from that stop sign."

Loved the Let It Go ringtone. Cracked me up.

Stacey said...

I'm pretty much night blind, which pretty much made our move to Alaska stupid. My husband drives to and from work, or most anywhere else we go, half the year.

My 2.5 year old is "Let it Go" obsessed. We were at Target the other day and he pointed to a shirt with Elsa on it and said "Let it Go girl". I don't think he knows any other characters' names besides Olaf. We've only seen the movie once.

Unknown said...

I love the beautiful churches! Kind of envious actually. The ringtone was awesome. :)

Unknown said...

I'm pretty sure "The Slime Green Evil Lasers" has to be the most epic team name of all time. :) And the stereo? I'm kind of wishing mine had seizure mode now. haha Great post, as always!

Hugs!
Sarah

Pennies Add Up said...

You reminded me of the fact that I learnt to play the hand bells in school about a gazillion years ago. I was a naughty girl at school and known for being abit of a monster but I loved playing those little handbells, I didn't care how geeky I looked ;)

Jenny Evans said...

It's crazy how fast they pick it up, even if they've never seen the movie. It's like they have a special pop culture gland or something to diffuse information about Frozen straight to their brains.

Jenny Evans said...

I'm always shocked when YouTube lets me down. I thought everything was on there!

Jenny Evans said...

My daughters wanted to know why they wear gloves, maybe you can tell me: is it because of fingerprints or grip or to make their hands more visible to the audience?

Queen Mom Jen said...

I am a firm believer in the powerful healing qualities of super glue! There is nothing that stuff cannot fix. Yay for your new radio! Now you can listen "Let it go" whenever you want to!

Jenny Evans said...

Whenever the kids want to, which is unfortunately much more often than I do.

Spidermummy said...

Teheheee I love this post, you really made me chuckle!! Spastic mode on the stereo sounds awesome, even if it didn't do well at keeping you awake at the wheel!! Superglue though, really?!!! Hope your finger is healing well!! x

Jenny Evans said...

To be completely honest, I'm not overly impressed with the job we did. It'll heal, but the scar won't be pretty. I think my dreams of becoming a hand model will never be realized now...

Anonymous said...

Super glue - huh. I would never have thought to use it. I am feeling very lucky to have free public health care and emergency right now. Mind you when I sliced my finger open they just bandaged it up with the normal stuff after a quick wash out with antiseptic. I probably wouldn't bother going and getting it looked at.

Rachel said...

My mom went out and bought superglue directly after paying $500 for me to get my chin glued back together at the ER after a childhood scooter accident so that she'd be prepared for the next kid to try something similar. Way cheaper, and it's close enough. Angel has a gigantic scar on his arm from a skateboard accident that he never went to the doctor about. Glue could have probably come in handy there, too...

Jenny Evans said...

I have never heard of anyone else doing that before! I think I like your mom.

Let's Talk Mommy said...

Oh yes I cut my leg open when I was a kid and my momma super glued it back together and skipped the hospital fees. lol Wow sounds like you have had a lot going on this week. Great post. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme

Jenny Evans said...

Update: it actually looks great! Changed my mind and will probably be doing it again sometime in my life.